Hedsor Jazz

This week our session at Hedsor should be as hot as the weather, which I hope attracts you not keeps you away!!

It is also my last session before I travel to darkest Dorset for, amongst other things, the Swanage Jazz Festival. As many of you will know, this 28 year old festival has been saved this year by the intervention of one of our favourite guitarists, Nigel Price. It looks to be a stellar festival, with other favourites of ours from Hedsor playing. Simon Spillett is there, as will be Mike Wills. Echoes of Ellington are out of Hedsor’s financial reach, but they will be there, as well as a recreation of Benny Goodman’s Carnegie Hall Concert from 1938. Do go on line to see who you could see if you came as well!!

https://www.swanagejazzfestival.co.uk/

So who do we have at Hedsor this week?

Stuart Henderson on trumpet, Kelvin Christiane on reeds (occasionally 2 at a time!), Steve Riddle on bass, and we are hoping that he will be able to persuade pianist John Donegan to accompany him again this week as 2 weeks ago. Martin Hart will be our drummer. So, expect more fire!!

Nigel Fox is away at  the moment celebrating 6 years of marriage! Congrats to Nigel and Ingrid.

Last weeks Hedsor Session was by our "regular" Clive Burton Celebration Quintet. They are slowly expanding the repertoire, and becoming a tighter ensemble that is very good to listen to.

The Quartet playing last week

One thing we are short of at Hedsor Jazz is helpers who are physically able to put out the tables and chairs, set up the PA system and help Martin with the lights. The other Geoff (Swaffield) will not be with us for a couple of weeks, a small op being a disabling factor for him. Even if I were able to be there, I am unable to lift these days, so finding a deputy dep (Mike Jeffries is a first dep for PA and drums!!) is becoming a necessity. If you feel you are able and willing (note the way round I have placed this phrase) please let Martin and/or Mike Jeffries know.

Yesterday afternoon at Christ Church, Marlow was an excellent way of spending a hot afternoon. Christ Church was reasonable cool, and the music played was excellent. It was all 1920’s/30’s jazz. The Danzon Guitar Duo played the kind of music associated with Eddie Lang, and they did it superbly. Martin Litton and David Horniblow did a sort of tribute to Jelly Roll Morton. As many of you will know, Martin Litton is an expert in that field and will be appearing at Swanage with his Red Hot Peppers. David and Martin had come swiftly to Marlow from a lunchtime gig in Grosvenor Square, where they had been trying to cheer up Democrats in the UK!

Tea and cake at half time, plenty of water at all times, Christ Church did jazz proud!

More music of various sorts, including Jazz will be happening at Christ Church, so  check out their web site and join the mailing list   

http://www.musicinmarlow.org.uk/

As I will be away for a couple of weeks, I thought I would mention a CD I have played this last couple of days. Many of you will know and appreciate Arbors Records and their Jazz label. They are always superbly recorded, and usually have some excellent musicians play for them. What I dug out to hear this week was a recording by Bill Allred, a veteran trombone player, together with his son John, also now a fine trombonist. Together with guitarist Howard Alden, trumpeter Warren Vache, drummer Ed Metz and lady bass player and singer Nicki Parrott they play an excellent selection of tunes. Recorded in New York in 2010 it is really good to hear such fine trombone playing on tunes you too could sing to! Arbors Jazz ARCD 19395, it is called “New York Sessions”.

By the time you come to Hedsor Jazz next, tickets for August 9^th will be on sale, price £10. One of Britain’s finest trombone players will be with us for the night, Roy Williams!

More details in part blog issues.